


Handprint

by Lif61 (UltimateFandomTrash)



Series: #SPNDBCC [7]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Blood, Day 7, Handprint, Intimacy, Kissing, M/M, Non-Sexual Intimacy, POV Dean Winchester, Post-Episode: s15e18 Despair, SPNDBCC, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:20:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27934501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UltimateFandomTrash/pseuds/Lif61
Summary: Even with Cas back, things don't entirely feel right. Dean has an idea as to what he has to do to fix it, and it involves getting a very important tattoo.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Destiel
Series: #SPNDBCC [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2038180
Comments: 10
Kudos: 61





	Handprint

**Author's Note:**

> Written for day 7 of the Supernatural Deserved Better Creations Challenge on tumblr by @foundfamily4eva. Prompt: Handprint.

Even with Cas back, Dean knew what he had to do. Yes, perhaps he could’ve asked Cas for help, could’ve had him paint his hand red and put it on paper, but then it wouldn’t be authentic, wouldn’t be the same.

Dean hadn’t cleaned his jacket since that night; the night that Castiel was taken. The night he’d said so many beautiful and important words and had cried from the sheer joy of them.

Saying those words back had somehow been the easiest yet hardest task of Dean’s life. His body had gone numb, his head playing this high-pitched electric whine. He’d been sweating, his heart pounding so fiercely it hurt. Dean wasn’t even quite sure of what he had said, but he knew he’d said those four important words: _I love you, Cas._

With that love in mind, that hurt that was slowly healing with every kiss and every day Dean woke up beside his angel, he took the jacket, headed to the armory for some privacy, and then set about grabbing the supplies he needed.

One option instead of this would be to ask Cas to brand him again, and while the idea was beyond enticing and sent heat rushing down past his hips, he wanted something more natural. He didn’t want Grace or magic or any of that shit involved. He just wanted a human experience, because, at the end of all this, Dean was human, and he loved Cas as a human would. He understood Cas’ love as a human would. Besides, wasn’t Castiel the one who was in love with humanity?

Dean set to work, using the little squeezy bottle he’d gotten off of a vet to carefully rehydrate the blood on his jacket. The near-brown became a deep crimson, and as he waited, it turned a bright red.

Then, Dean took his tracer paper and laid it out over the handprint. He nearly shook as he did so. This was too important for him to make a mistake. Lightly pressing the paper down at the corners had the blood start seeping into it, along with the water. Eventually, Dean had his handprint.

He left the paper out to dry for a day, finally threw his jacket in the wash after dumping a shit-load of antibacterial soap and hydrogen peroxide on it, and then went back to his project.

The thin paper had dried, and the red handprint directly in the center looked perfect. Dean put it in a folder he’d gotten specifically for this occasion, and then, after taking a few minutes to thoroughly kiss Castiel goodbye, he headed out.

The tattoo parlor he chose (really, he didn’t have a choice since it was the only one in town) was a few blocks from the bar he and Sammy liked to frequent. A couple of cars were parked out in the small, dusty parking lot. Not much business then. The building itself was squat, just a tiny bit of rectangular space that probably only had a couple of other rooms in it beside the main parlor. Inside, the floors were black, and the walls were of the dark brick that they were outside.

“Do you have an appointment?” a man at the desk asked.

Off to the side, there was a dark-haired young woman getting a tattoo of what looked like a cross on her inner forearm. He glanced her way for a bit before drawing his attention back to the burly, inked-up man behind the desk.

“No,” he answered, walking over. He knocked his hands against the false granite, all while keeping the folder tucked against his side. “Just thought a walk-in would be fine.”

“So you don’t want anyone in particular?”

“No, sir.”

“Alright, whatcha want?”

Dean took out the folder, and then pulled the sheet of paper with Castiel’s carefully transferred handprint on it.

“Buddy, that looks like blood.”

Dean shrugged. “It’s paint.”

Sure, maybe it wasn’t hygienic (was any part of an angel actually _unhygienic_?), but it was Castiel’s blood. It mattered. Besides, the tattoo artist wouldn’t even have to touch it.

“I want it right here,” Dean went on to explain after receiving a skeptical look, pointing at his left shoulder and the top of his bicep.

“Reggie can do that one for you,” he explained. “He’s better with shoulders. Hey, Reggie!”

Yet another burly, tattooed man appeared, coming out of some sort of back room.

“Yeah?” he asked, voice gruff.

The counter guy gestured at Dean. “Ink him up.”

Dean treated the irritated skin like he was supposed to after he got back to the bunker, and then, he decided to walk around in a _Led Zeppelin_ t-shirt. Sam thought it was odd he wasn’t wearing a flannel, until he saw the tattoo peeking out under his sleeve. Sam, falling perfectly into the annoying little brother role, all but tackled Dean just so he could pull the sleeve up and check out the tattoo. Sam let out an appreciative low whistle before letting Dean shrug out of his grasp.

“You didn’t tell me you were gonna get a tattoo.”

“It was a personal decision, Sammy. Now just… don’t say anything to Cas, alright? I want it to be a surprise.”

“Yep. Sure thing.”

Dean tilted his head at him, voice low as he said in warning, “ _Sam_.”

His little brother raised his hands in an I-Come-In-Peace gesture, and said, “Honest. It’s your business, dude.”

The most annoying part was that Castiel didn’t seem to notice at first. It wasn’t till they were in bed together, Dean tense and huffing a lot that Castiel asked, “Alright, what’s wrong?”

Dean turned on his lamp, rolled over, and pulled up his sleeve, showing Castiel the tattoo. Castiel’s eyes widened as some type of profound realization came upon.

“Dean—”

“Seriously, babe?” he countered. “You put my entire body back together and you don’t notice some new ink?”

Dean started to roll his sleeve back down, and Castiel grabbed his hand in a fierce grip. Yet, a tremble ran through his fingers. He slowly pulled Dean’s sleeve back up, revealing all of the red ink on somewhat swollen skin. He ignored his question.

“Dean, I could’ve done this for you.”

“I wanted it to be a human experience, you know?”

Castiel nodded, his eyes warm and slightly glazed over, lids partially closed. He brought his mouth to the itching, burning skin. His lips were so soft on it, and Dean put a hand in his angel’s dark hair, groaning.

Cas kept kissing the tattoo with reverence, irritating the skin even more, but breathing life into Dean. He hadn’t felt this alive in a long time. He couldn’t even remember when he’d last felt this, if he had ever felt this.

Castiel eventually pulled back, and met Dean’s lips with his own.

Then, against his lips, he said, “I’m sorry I left you. I’m sorry I told you I loved you and then was gone. I’m sorry—”

Dean cupped Castiel’s face in his hands. “Cas, shut up. I love you.”

They kissed, and Castiel’s fingers gently stroked at the handprint on Dean’s shoulder. Dean eventually fell asleep, that familiar hand still gripping him, holding him close. Saving him.

**Author's Note:**

> I do also have an NSFW fic for this prompt. I'll post it soon.
> 
> It was lovingly pointed out to me that I did mess up with how tattoo parlors work and what you have to do after getting a tattoo. So uh... yeah, Castiel shouldn't have kissed it. My bad. (I did kind of mess up though because I see my friend get a lot of tattoos and they never put something to cover it after. No idea what that's about.)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Brand My Soul](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27934621) by [Lif61 (UltimateFandomTrash)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/UltimateFandomTrash/pseuds/Lif61)




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